Police are holding a farmhand for allegedly eloping with a form three secondary school student in Taita-Taveta County.
Acting on a tip-off, the police led by Wumingu Location Chief Paskim Kisambio raided the suspect’s hideout last night, arrested the two, and escorted them to Wundanyi Police Station.
The duo had been living together as man and wife before the intervention of the law enforcement officers who cut short their tryst.
“The farmhand had run away secretly with the 16-year-old secondary school student from one of the local schools. The victim's parents reported the matter to the chief’s office and a manhunt for the suspect was launched culminating in the arrest. The suspect and the girl have been living in his employer’s servant quarters for a week,” said Mr Kisambio.
Briefing The Standard at the Wundanyi Police Station after recording a statement, the administrator said they recovered dozens of condoms and books from the duo.
“We have interrogated the student. She said she wants to be married and does not want to go back to school. We are taking her for a medical examination to determine her health status before the suspect is charged.
It is criminal to marry and defile a minor,” he warned.
“The suspect eloped with the minor and they have been living together with the intention of getting married. He was planning to escape before the law caught up with him,” said Mr Kisambio.
Meanwhile, the county is well known for high incidences of rape, like defilement, incest, sodomy and drug abuse.
Other cases the county is known for include early marriages and pregnancies; this is according to the National Crime Centre (NCC).
Figures released recently by the NCC reveal that in the past one month alone, the county reported a total of 27 defilements.
And, every week the county has been recording between four to five cases, which are higher than other counties in Kenya.
But of late homosexuality and lesbianism have cropped up in the region.
According to women leaders, the cases are rampant in Voi, Wundanyi and Taveta Sub Counties.
In Voi, the leaders noted such cases have been reported in the Kariokor area where they are being perpetuated in hired rooms.
“Cases of homosexuality and lesbianism started in homes and they have now spread in schools where they are rampant,” noted the County Assembly Women Caucus member Joan Akinyi.
The ODM Nominated legislator alleged that in Voi, the perpetrators of such cases have even opened a WhatsApp page where they plan and execute their illegal affair.
“There are rental houses where such cases involving school-going children aged between 10 and 15 years are engaging in such behaviour with the full knowledge of their parents,” said Ms Akinyi.
“Initially we thought the boy child was the one in danger but we have also realised that the girl child is the worst hit,” said the opposition legislator this morning.
However, County Police Commander Patrick Okeri and Voi Deputy County Commissioner Daniel Ndutu denied any knowledge of rampant homosexuality in the area.
